Has it really been a whole year since I posted my last blog entry? In a word, yes. And here's why. Since September of 2008, I have been head's down in the most ambitious, research intensive novel of my early career. I learned about art, European history, the Renaissance, anatomy, optics, philosophy, religion, astrology, pamistry, relics and reliquaries, and the end of the world. Especially, I have spent the most time learning about one man who was the embodiment of all those fields of scientific and artistic study: Leonardo Da Vinci. He was a vwey handsome man, by all accounts. A veritable giant with an incredible singing voice, who expressed his curiosity by endeavoring to learn and recreate the nature and ability of everything around him. He would spend as much as necessary in the market place to buy the caged and penned animals there, so he could set them free. By profession, he was a polymath, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer. Born the illegitimate son of a notary who would go on to sire no less than 21 children, Leonardo's mother was a 16 year old servant girl in the household of a friend. Due to the nature of the novel I would spend nearly a year to date writing, I found myself completely captivated by his wit and wisdom, courtesy of the notebooks he wrote. I learn a great deal about the man and the world in which he lived, and learned one very startling detail which has been thought about this man throughout the past century. In 1898, a French photographer took the first known photograph of the Shroud of Turin. Arguably the burial cloth of Christ, I learned that it appeared in its negative as the positive of a negative. In other words, it was the picture of another photographic negative. Could it possibly be that Leonardo Da Vinci defied Church edicts against alchemy and even magic to counterfeit the most acclaimed relic to emerge from the Dark Ages? He certainly had the knowledge of the areas which would permit such a forgery, and he himself was prone to jests and trickery, mostly for the benefit of entertaining the guests of his wealthy patrons. Its owners included the Knights Templar, the power De Medicis of Florence, Italy, the Catholic Church in Rome and, most notably, the House of Savoy. The latter used its influence to grow from humble beginnings in a small Duchy in France, to rule and reign over the kingdom of Italy. They were the longest surviving royal dynasty in Europe, lasting nearing a thousand years. I can't divulge the rest of what I learned, of a 15th century conspiracy which I believe continues to this day. Although the shroud has been patched and burned twice in the care of its owners, radiocarbon dating has placed its age at somewhere in the latter part of the middle ages. If it is two thousand years old as some maintain, does it have any residual power from the resurrection of Jesus Christ? If it is only slightly older than 500 years, did Leonardo Da Vinci or some other master produce or reproduce it? The possibilities are as endless as the debate which rages about its authenticity. I don't want to give any of the plot away, but I think you'll be pleased at this huge story. It is by far and away the longest novel I've ever written, but also the most demanding, in terms of what it required of me to learn about so many aspects of its timeline. I am very tired at this time, almost exhausted from writing well into the morning hours after work, for weeks on end. I am doing well, and have also been very busy on other fronts. I have been approached by Variance Books, who is currently reviewing my books for possible mass publication. The owner is a very nice fellow with a publishing company full of well-known and talented authors. It is too soon to tell whether I may have the opportunity of joining them or not, but I am grateful for the chance to be considered. I also filmed 10 segments as a commentary expert for the #1 rated Animal Planet show, "Lost Tapes". Basically, I am the fellow who talks about subjects as diverse as ghosts, werewolves, UFOs and Bigfoot, while th program reenacts sightings of weird creatures. Last but not least, I am under consideration to become an associate professor at a local college, where I have lectured on mysterious creatures, writing and publishing over the past several years. All in all, it's been a busy year, and I hope to be able to resume my radio show once I get "The Shroud" published later this year. My next project, if you're interested, is to dust off my catalog of songs I've written through the years, and go into the studio and produce my first musical album in a very long time. I play 6 and 12 string guitar, and will have accompaniment behind me as I perform some of my old classics, along with several new songs I have written, along with 1 or 2 composed just for the album. My style is definitely acoustic, along the lines of James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg. While I can't say I am in their league, I've had people singing my songs for over 30 years, and that in itself has been pretty satisfying. Thank you for keeping up with me, and for all your support in my writing career. I've had publishers, agents and even screenwriters contact me about my novels, and I really enjoy the creative process. My next will be an even bigger mystery, a sort of historical whodunit with a cast of dozens of noteworthy figures from the past. I hope you'll tag along, and remember to give me a good look and review, if you like the samples of my work on google and my web site. I'd like to thank my editor, Billye McCarty, for working this summer on the next edition of "The Cryptids Trilogy," and ready it for the next big step in the small publishing vernture she and I have put together, through the Trilogus Media Group. Until next time, find your creative passion and share it with the world! ~ D.L.